In its role as Official Partner, Fischer Connectors is partnering with the SolarStratos team to provide its expertise in designing and delivering ultra-rugged, mission-critical connectivity solutions to the SolarStratos aircraft.

This will be the first time a manned solar plane will penetrate the stratosphere, and SolarStratos is the first solar-powered twin-seater commercial aircraft in history. This ambitious Swiss project with a global impact will demonstrate the potential of solar energy, and explore new territories for the future of aviation – manned and unmanned, solar and electric. SolarStratos’ founder and pilot Raphaël Domjan, who proved with PlanetSolar that you can sail around the world in a solar-powered boat, will lead this daring adventure, supported by an international team of experienced professionals and partners.

The SolarStratos plane – with a wingspan of 24 meters, length of 8.5 meters and weight of 350 kilos – will be propelled solely by solar energy, backed by a Li-ion battery. Designed and built in Switzerland, it took its maiden flight in Payerne, Switzerland on May 5th, 2017.

SolarStratos’ first international “stopover” takes place from June 15th to June 22nd in Montreal, Canada, where it is the guest star of the Northern Solar Festival and the 12th Metropolis World Congress. The event will culminate in an exhibition flight over the St Lawrence River. The stratospheric flight is scheduled for 2019, with tests and records foreseen in 2018, and commercial activities are planned to start in 2020.

The environment on the edge of space is extreme, with temperatures of -70°C and cosmic radiation. Fischer Connectors’ innovative Swiss technology – in particular its rugged connectivity solutions – has been selected by SolarStratos for its track record of high reliability in extreme environments, optimal ratio of light weight and high performance, ability to transmit large volumes of data fast over long distances, and customized design. Fischer Connectors’ technical support teams are working closely with the SolarStratos team to design and deliver the ideal solution to ensure the mission’s success.

As Jonathan Brossard, CEO of the Fischer Connectors, explains: “Fischer Connectors and SolarStratos have so much in common. We’re both pioneers in innovation with a passion for going beyond what’s considered possible and pushing back the limits of human understanding. We’re both Swiss and global, collaborating with many partners locally and globally, and harnessing Swiss high-performance technology and our passion for renewables to re-invent the aviation of the future. We consider ourselves more than partners to SolarStratos – we’re devoted fans!”